Tension mechanism for embroidering machines



W. HUELLER March 5, 1929.

TENSION MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES Original Filed May 26, 19234 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 5, 1929. w. HUELLER TENSION MECHANISM FOREMBROIDERING MACHINES Original Filed May 26, 19 23 4 Sheets -Sheet 3 W.HUELLER March 5, 1929.

TENSION MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES 4 sheets-sheet 3 OriginalFiled May 26, 1923 March 5, 1929. w. HUELLER TENSION MECHANISM FOREMBROIDERING MACHINES Original Filed May '26, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Arrow/7:

Patented Mar. 5, 1929..

siren srAT-ss PATIENT:QFFICEQ,

"WALTER HUELLER, OF WEST NEWI-YORKINEW JERSEY.

mansion ra ser-realism FOB EMBRQIDERIN QHINES. I

Original application filed May '26; 1922, Serial No. time; a No.1,645,532, dated {October 18, 1927.

V Divided and'this applieatioirfiled' Apri} 1.1,1925Q SerialN'o. 22,278.

This invention relates to needle mechanism for embroidery machines andhas for its primary object to provide a mechanism adaptable toembroiderymachines of present standard construction whereby theoperation of the needles may be easily and quickly changed in theembroidering of intricate designs upon dress goods, laces and othermaterials and is a division of my application Sorial No. 641,592 filedMay 26 1928.

An embroidery machine embodying my present improvements provides in theone machine a combination of three features which have heretofore onlybeen found 111 separate machines, nan'iely, a needle carriage hayingstable or hired needles; secondly, means for automatically controllingthe operation oi? needles ll'lOUllllQi'l to reciprocate upon thecarriaqein accordance with the design being embroidered, or the different colhrsof the design, and thirdly, a hand opera ed means for controlling thestitch forminn mo 'einents of the reciprocating needles.

It is also an object of my present improve ment to provide improved meas for applying relatiyely dill 'erent tensions to threads or cords ofdifierent Weight which are used 111 embroideringgg various designs.

It it also an importantfeature of my presl L I "trating the tensloningmeans for the threads ent invention to provide a means for control-'ling the operation of needles in sections in accord mice with the designbeing embroidered so in accordance with the different color in thedesigns and in the provision why or the individual"needles in operationso that extreme accuracy is obtained andsthe u'oduction of faulty a ndunsalable goods obviated.

It is another objectofthe' invention to provide autom atically operatingperforating means associated with each needle and adapted to provide anopening through the ork with respectto which the stitchesai capplied. bythe needle.

mechanism for embroidery machines; and in the in, construction andrelative arrange needlemechanisni;

s which will insure the absolute stabiL' I J and other objects in iew,the invention consists infthe mproved"needle one simple and'practicalembodiment of the invention and in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts tl irougliout the severalviews: M i IFigure 'l is a side elevationrof the needle mechanism and its operatingmeans as con structed in accordance with my present jim provem'ents; p iFigure Q'isfa top plan view of a part of the Figure 3 is a detailelevation of the pattern plate; Figure l is a similar viewof the plateholder;

Figure 5? is a fragmentary front end elea ion of the carriage; l

dle carriages arrangedin series and operated from a con'imonp'owershaft; i

Figiilres 7 and 8are detailperspective views of partsof theneedlestabilizing machine;

Figure 8 a detail sectionalview showing the needle claniiping device;

Figures 9, 10, lland l2 illustrate examples machine; e

Figure ltl is an enlargedplan View illusor cords; i

showing a hand operated means for controlling the stitch formingoperations of the needles and Fig. 18 a sectional view along the line18-18 ofFig. 17; i i 1 Embroidery n'lachines of the type'to which thepresent invention is applicabley are defFigure 5 is a lzingitudinalsection through the'needle carriage;

F igureG is a planviewillustrating the nee so i of diiierent kinds ofwork executed by the signeclto. operate upon materials over a Width often to fifteenyards' 'and apply the embroidery across the entire'widthof the matei'iall Insuch machines the needlesare arranged in groups, theseries of needles in each group bein mounted upon-a sliding cartionsofthe needles inthe carriage by hand so that only certain of the needleswould operate. In cases Where it was attempted to make this changeautomatically, as by the use of changeable pattern plates, it was foundthat the necessary stability of the needles in operation could not bemaintained. Such machines operate at a speed of about 120 revolutionsper minute audit was found practically impossible to produce the desiredautomatic change in the operation of ti e needles without complicatingthe mechanism, in view of the relatively small space within which theneedles must operate. This difiiculty 1 have succeeded in overcoming inmy present inventionand have provided an arrangement in which theworking of the needles may be automatically changed, withoutcomplicating such machines as heretofore constructed and alsomaintaining the desired stability of the needles in operation.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, each needle carriage is mounted toreciprocate towards and from the work upon a suitable support 6, thecarriage preferably including a base section and a removable needlesupportin section 7. This latter section of the carriage is providedwith spacedlongitudinally extending flanges 9 and 10, respectively,

upon which the needle holding rods 11 are mounted for axial movement. Toone end of each of these rods, the needle 12 is detachably secured by asuitable clamping device 13. l The needle carriages are reciprocated bya suitable actuating means 1% arranged at t-l e rear of the carriage,and between this carriage actuating means and the needle carriages apower shaft 15 extends the entire length of the machine.

.A standard 16 is also mounted rearwardly of each needle carriage andhas a forked upper end 17 through which the power shaft 15 extends.Through openings in the spaced arms of the standard, the square end 19of a shaft 18 is loosely positioned, said shaft at spaced points beingjournaled in the flanges 9 and 10 of the needle carriage'and moving as aunit with said carriage when the latter is reciprocated. The shaft 18 isrotated by means of a worm gear 20 engaged upon the square portion 19thereof between the arms of the fork 17 and having meshing en agementwith the worm 21 on the power shart 15.

The shaft 18 is also provided with a threaded section 22 engaged in tncopening in bar 23 which extends substantially the full length of theneedle carriage and is provided in its upper edge with a slot orbifurcation 2 1 to receive-a pattern plate The upper side of each oftheneedle carrying rods 11 has a plane or flat face 26 so as to preventsaid rod turning or rotating in the supporting flanges 9 and 10. Theplate is formed with spaced openings 27 arranged in. accordance with thedesign to be worked in the material, said openings being in line withcertain of the needle bars 11 so that when the plate holder 23 is movedwith respect to the carriage by the rotation of the shaft 18, said platewill engage only certain of the rods 11 to cause a stitch formingmovement of the needles carried thereby, while the other rods will passthrough the openings 27 in said plate. The bar 23 at each side of theplate receiving channel 2% therein is likewise provided with openingscorresponding in number to the number of the rods 11. As shown in Figure2 of the drawings, the bar 23 has been moved forwardly and the entireseries of needles with the exception of one has been actuated by theplate 25, while the single needle in line with the openings 2'? in saidplate has remained stationary.

In order that the needles shall move absolutely in a straight linewithout deviation in any direction, I have provided a stabilizingmachine therefor. To this end, a member 28 is fixed upon each of therods 11 bya suit-.

able set screw 29. At each side of the rod, an ad ustable screw or pin3011s threaded in I L110 member 28 and is adapted for engagement againstthe concave face of a spring plate 31 at the opposite ends thereof, saidplate being provided with an opening through which the rod 11 extendsand having :1 lug 32 on its upper edge which is suitably fixed to thebar 33 which is secured upon the flange 9. In this bar the set screws 31 are tl'ireaded which may be adjusted into engagement with the flatfaces 26 of the rods so that any one or more of said rods may besecurely fixed against axial movement. in additicn to the spring plate31, a coil spring 35 also surrounds each rod 11 and is initially placedunder compression in the needle projecting movement of the rod beforethe screws come into contactwith the ends of said spring plate. Forfurther stabilizing movement of the rods, 1 provide the coil springs 36attached at one of their ends to the members28 and at their other endsto the flange 10 at a point below the plane of the rods 11, said springsexerting a downward and rearward pull upon said rods. It will beapparent that owing to the provision of the spring plates 31 inconjunction with the coil springs and 36, the needles are stabilizedagainst any possible deviation froi'n their straight line movement sothat the formation of the embroidery stitches will be very accuratelyperformed. 3

1n manyembroidery designs, the material being worked is perforated, andthe embroidery stitches are applied around the edges of the perforation.For the purpose of producing these openings through the material, Iprovide the perforators 3'? on the ends of the rods 38 which are mountedfor axial movement in the flanges 9 and 10 independently of the needlerods 11. The rods 38 carrying the .perforators 37 are normally urgedrearwardly' in the needle carriage by means of the coil ill) lll

' thread.

bearings 44-.

springs 39-. Each rod 38 forwardly of the carriage is provided with astud or pin 40 which is engaged by the member ll threaded on theextension 42 of the shaft 18 so that when said shaft isrotated, saidmember ll is moved longitudinally of the shaft to thereby impart alongitudinal thrust to the rod 38 against the action of the spring 89,thus causing the perforator 3'? to be protruded through the material.

For the purpose of applying a proper ten-.

sion to the thread and core which is used in making the embroiderystitches, I have devised the mechanism shown in Figs. 13 14: and

of the drawings. In the embroidery art there is used what areknownasrunning stitches and cover stitches each of which requires adifferent tension. It is possible with my present improvement to use atone and the same time, a fine needle carrying a line thread and a heavyneedle carrying a heavier thread. it is also'possible to vary thetension applied to the heavy thread at any time independently of thetension on the'lin'er The different threads to-be used are carried byspools Seuitably mounted and sup- )orted. Ad'acent thereto, a threadedshaft 43 extends the full length of the machine section and is mounted'at its ends in suitable These be'a rings also support rods 45 arrangedabove the plane of said shaft at opposite sides thereof. At spacedintervals, plates it; are fixed upon the shaft 43 by nuts Abovethe shaft4.3 transversely disposed plates 48 are engaged at their ends upon therods as. stop pins 49 in said rods preventing movement of the plates 48thereon in one direction. At one side of plates flanged rollers 50 aremounted upon the rods 45 and have convex ends 51 to which the con'--'vex protuberances 52 on the endsof a plate 53 loosely engaged on theshaft d3 are ops posed. These convex t1ons51 and 52 of the rollers andthe plate 03 are yieldingly heldv in engagement wit-h'each otherby twosprings 5st interposed between the plates 53 and the plates 46. he heavycord carried by certain of the needles extends between the convex ends51 of the rollers 50 and the convex proj-ections 52 on plate 53 thepropertension being applied thereto by theacliion of the two. springs54-. Such heavy cord is usually used for edgingdesigns in the material.The line cotton thread requires adifl'erent tension in used in themachine. 56 indicates a braking space from A to P 7 needle.

It will thus be seen. that the proper tension will be n'iaintained uponthe dill erent kinds of thread and cord device of any suitable typewhereby the threadedrod or shaft may be axially shift ed to apply.additional pressure against the threadsand regulate the feed thereof.Heretofore, adjustable tensioningsprings have been used in suchmachines, but they have not been found practical, since it wasimpossible to maintain exactlythe same uniform tension'on thedifferentthreads. By providing the adjustable screw extend'n entirelength of the machine, and operating this sci-e i as above described,the tensioning devices are simultaneously adjusted sothat exa'ctly thesame degree of tension is applied to all of the threads. j

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying dr ings, it isbelieved that the several media ical featuresof my present improvements will be fully understood. In Figures 9 to 12of the drawings I have illustrated several examples of work ofthe kindexecuted by anembroidery machine equipped with my invention. Thus inFigure 9, l have shown a lace dcsign in which the embroidery stitchingis applied ona foundation of silk texture with a the threads at all"times constant and e so as to obviate all possibility of se aeration of1 i the repeated, designs and damagingof the goods. In the designillustrateih t r section of the lacebetweenthe lines and is what iscalled all/ l rep'eat while the portion beitween B and C 18 M18 l reJeat. the chan e beingautomatically made inthe inaehne b the change ofthe pattern plates, an-tl'witltout. making any change whatever inneedles. It is possible to do "this m the roll tension which isv appliedto the thrcai J" shown a design in which the operations of the spacefrom A to C", are 'ierformed by i needles while twenty needles operatein 'llhisdesign may be worked by the use of the hand operated needlecontroll $5 I means shown; in Figure l? of the'drawings,

1t is essential that the needle shall operate without theleastvibration. This hand changing device consists of the angular levers60 p'ivotally mounted at 61 upon the bar 2o.-

one of said levers being provided for each The levers arenorn'iallyheldwi one end positionedover the opening'inthe b: 23 inlinewith the needle by means ofspring 62. Thus when'it is desiredtoprevent the operation of any one of theneedles in the reciprocation ofc, the bar 23 the lever 60 is s the Therefore, it will be appreciatedthat the repeated operat ons of the needles must be absolutely exact andthe tension on to i the use of the. combined spring and truer carried"bytheneedles. ,In Fig. 10, I have moved against the action. of the spring62 so as to permit the needle carrying rod to move freely through theopening in said bar. Thus any one or more of the needles may be renderedinoperative as required in accordance with the design being worked.

In Figure 11 of the drawings 1 have illu, trated a section of filet laceof line cotton which is edged in with a heavy cord and is known in thetrade as the best machineanade imitation of hand made lilet lace It willbe understood, of course, that a line needle is used for the cottonwhile a relatively heavy needle is used with the cord. Owing to the factthat by means of the new spring tension above describech the propertension may be maintained on the her. y cord independently of that usedon the liner cotton which is wound around the emery roller a very highgrade product oi this kind can be produced.

In Figure 12 l have illustrated, a design stitch upon dress goods, inthe e 'ecution of which a/e and Q-ai/el needles and perl orators areused in themachine. liach of the seallops bordering the edge of thematerial and the flower design is in 12/ l repeat, while the openingsare Q/l/ l repeat ie change being 'automatlcally made in changing thepattern plates, and with the accurate application of the proper colorsby reason oi the improved tensioning means.

Of course, it is apparent that my present improvements are notnecessarily limited to the specific examples of work to which i haveabove referred to butthe autonat-ic needle control mechanism forchanging the working operations of the groups of needles automatically,may be advantageously employed in the execution of various otherintricate embroidery designs upon silk, cotton or other materials in therapid quantity production of work of this kind It is also possible inthe present machine to apply various ornaments to the material suchbeads, butt ms braid. pearls an d the like which have heretofore beenattached only in machines having a fixed or stable needle and it was notpossible to an automatic needle clumping attachment such as that hereindescribed, However. inview oi the stabiliZing; means which I provide forthe reciprocating needles the automaticneedle controlling and changingmea may be used for the attachment of such ornamental air-- This is adivision of my application Serial No. MLSSL. iiled May 26 1923, PatentNo. 1,645.532, granted October 18, 1927.

1 claim: v I

l. in an embroidery machine, a tensioning mechanism for threads ofdifferent mate ials including rollers around which one kind ott threadis engaged, springplates opposed to one end oi each roller and adaptedto exert a tensioning' pressure against another thread positionedbetween said plates and the ends oi the rollers.

In an imdnfoidery machine, a tensioning mechanism for threads ofdifferent materials inclun' A rollers around which one kind of thread isengag one end of each roller and adapted to exert a tensioningg pressureagainst another thread positioned between said plates and the ends ofthe rollers, and means for simultaneously adjusting the tensionalpressure upon all oi the threads "'l Joughout the length of the machine.

In an embroidery machine, a teusiouing mechanism tor threads ofdiil'erent materials including rollers around which one kind of threadengaged. spring means opposed to one end of each roller and adapted toexert the tension in pressure against thread positioned hetwecn saidspring means and the ends of the rollers.

et. n an embroidery machine a tensioniug meal ism for threads ofdifferent material includ thread engaged.

, spring means opposed to one end of each roller and adapted to exertatensioning "re against another thread positioned pr ng means and themeans tor simultaneously adjusting the tension upon all oil the threadsthroughout the length oi the machine. I p i 5 In an en'ibroiderymachine, a tensioning mechanism for threads oi diiterentmaterialincluding rollers around which one thread is engaged, and spring meanscooperating with the rollers and exerting a tensioning pressure againstanother thread positioned between the same and the rollers.

6. In an embroimry machine a tensioning mechanism for thr ids ofdiii'ercnt material including rollers around which one kind of thread isengz red, means opposed to one end of each roller and adapted to exertthe tensioning pressure against another hread positioned between saidspring means and the ends of the roiier, and an emery roller aroundwhich thi ads of one material are woimd and over which the other threadspass.

in testimony that my invention, and have signed my name hereto.

lVALTER HUELLER.

. spring plates opposed to another rollers around which one kind of lclaim the foregoing as

